Chapter 2 - Ecology Lesson 9 Adaptations and Survival

Chapter 2 - EcologyChapter 2 - Ecology

Lesson 9Lesson 9

Adaptations and SurvivalAdaptations and Survival

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TCAP CoachTCAP Coach

55thth grade Science grade Science

ObjectiveObjective

The student will compare The student will compare how organisms adapt to how organisms adapt to different environments.different environments.

Adaptations and SurvivalAdaptations and Survival

Animals and plants have special Animals and plants have special characteristics that help them live in characteristics that help them live in their environment. For example, a their environment. For example, a polar bear has a thick coat of fur that polar bear has a thick coat of fur that helps it stay warm in a very cold helps it stay warm in a very cold climate. These special climate. These special characteristics are called characteristics are called adaptations. Adaptations help adaptations. Adaptations help organisms survive in their organisms survive in their environment.environment.

AdaptationsAdaptationsAn adaptation is a An adaptation is a

characteristic that helps characteristic that helps an organism to survive in an organism to survive in

its environment.its environment.

AdaptationsAdaptations

The polar bear’s fur The polar bear’s fur is an adaptation for is an adaptation for very cold weather. very cold weather.

Would a polar bear Would a polar bear be able to live in be able to live in the desert? the desert? Probably not!Probably not!


The polar bear would not be able to The polar bear would not be able to survive in a desert because it does not survive in a desert because it does not have adaptations for a desert ecosystem.have adaptations for a desert ecosystem.


A desert is dry and A desert is dry and hot. Organisms hot. Organisms that live in desert that live in desert ecosystems have ecosystems have adaptations that adaptations that help them save help them save water and keep water and keep from drying out.from drying out.


For example, a For example, a cactus plant has an cactus plant has an adaptation that adaptation that allows it to store allows it to store extra water in its extra water in its stem. Its roots are stem. Its roots are very shallow, very shallow, allowing it to allowing it to absorb what little absorb what little rainfall happens in rainfall happens in a desert.a desert.


The spines of the cactus protect it from The spines of the cactus protect it from animals that might eat it. animals that might eat it.

All of these are adaptations that allow the All of these are adaptations that allow the cactus to survive in the desert.cactus to survive in the desert.

Types of AdaptationsTypes of Adaptations

Like the polar bear and the cactus Like the polar bear and the cactus plant, many organisms have plant, many organisms have adaptations that help them live in adaptations that help them live in their environment. Special body their environment. Special body parts help an animal or plant survive parts help an animal or plant survive in its environment.in its environment.


A fish’s body is A fish’s body is adapted to live in adapted to live in an aquatic an aquatic environment. environment.

Its smooth, sleek Its smooth, sleek body and fins help body and fins help to propel it through to propel it through the water.the water.


Animals such as Animals such as turtles, snails, turtles, snails, mussels, and clams mussels, and clams have thick, hard have thick, hard shells that protect shells that protect them from them from predators and their predators and their environment.environment.


Reptiles and Reptiles and snakes have thick, snakes have thick, leathery skin that leathery skin that keeps in moisture, keeps in moisture, so their bodies do so their bodies do not dry out.not dry out.

Types of AdaptationsTypes of Adaptations Many organisms have Many organisms have

adaptations that adaptations that protect them from protect them from predators, such as predators, such as sharp thorns or spines.sharp thorns or spines.

Roses have thorns, Roses have thorns, and porcupines, and and porcupines, and cactuses have sharp cactuses have sharp spines that keep other spines that keep other animals from eating animals from eating them.them.


Some animals use Some animals use chemicals to keep chemicals to keep themselves safe themselves safe from predators.from predators.

Poison dart frogs Poison dart frogs release poisonous release poisonous chemicals through chemicals through their skin.their skin.


Skunks release a Skunks release a powerful odor to powerful odor to scare away scare away predators.predators.


The illustration below shows how a The illustration below shows how a cheetah is adapted for hunting and a cheetah is adapted for hunting and a giraffe is adapted for escaping predators.giraffe is adapted for escaping predators.


Other organisms have adaptations Other organisms have adaptations that help them find food. Birds have that help them find food. Birds have different shapes of beaks that help different shapes of beaks that help them eat certain types of food that them eat certain types of food that are available in their environment. are available in their environment. The following chart shows some of The following chart shows some of these beaks adaptations.these beaks adaptations.


Mimicry and CamouflageMimicry and Camouflage

Another type of adaptation is called Another type of adaptation is called mimicrymimicry,, the ability of an animal the ability of an animal to resemble other living things.to resemble other living things.

Some animals have changed over Some animals have changed over time to resemble poisonous, time to resemble poisonous, dangerous animals.dangerous animals.


For example, some harmless snakes have For example, some harmless snakes have developed color patterns that copy snakes that developed color patterns that copy snakes that are poisonous. This protects the harmless snakes are poisonous. This protects the harmless snakes from being eaten by predators, because the from being eaten by predators, because the predators think that the snake is harmful.predators think that the snake is harmful.


Camouflage is a coloring or Camouflage is a coloring or patterning that helps animals patterning that helps animals hide from predators.hide from predators.


Stripes on a zebra Stripes on a zebra and the white fur of and the white fur of the Arctic hare help the Arctic hare help the animals blend the animals blend in with their in with their environments. environments.

Bright colors Bright colors sometimes signal sometimes signal that an animal is that an animal is poisonous.poisonous.

1. What is an adaptation?1. What is an adaptation?

A. the process by which an organism A. the process by which an organism finds foodfinds food

B. the way in which organisms B. the way in which organisms interact with their environmentinteract with their environment

C. a special characteristic which C. a special characteristic which helps an organism survive in its helps an organism survive in its

environmentenvironment D. the way an organism is colored D. the way an organism is colored

1. What is an adaptation?1. What is an adaptation?

C. a special characteristic which C. a special characteristic which helps an organism survive in its helps an organism survive in its environmentenvironment

2. Which of the following shapes of bird feet 2. Which of the following shapes of bird feet would provide the best adaptation for a bird would provide the best adaptation for a bird

that must swim in water in order to find that must swim in water in order to find food?food?

2. Which of the following shapes of bird feet 2. Which of the following shapes of bird feet would provide the best adaptation for a bird would provide the best adaptation for a bird

that must swim in water in order to find food?that must swim in water in order to find food?

3. Which of the following 3. Which of the following adaptations is an example of adaptations is an example of

camouflage?camouflage?

A. the ability to run very fastA. the ability to run very fast B. being the same color as the tree B. being the same color as the tree

trunk on which the organism livestrunk on which the organism lives C. having sharp spikes on its skinC. having sharp spikes on its skin D. having very sharp teethD. having very sharp teeth

3. Which of the following 3. Which of the following adaptations is an example of adaptations is an example of

camouflage?camouflage?

B. being the same color as the tree B. being the same color as the tree trunk on which the organism livestrunk on which the organism lives

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Chapter 2 - Ecology Lesson 9 Adaptations and Survival